Engineers Direct Commission Two Chief Warrant Officers

By Jason Bortz, Combined Arms Center Public Affairs OfficeOctober 18, 2023

Chief Warrant Officer 5 Willie Gadsden Jr., regimental chief warrant officer, U.S. Army Engineer School, commissioned Chief Warrant Officers 2 Jeffrey Absher and Timothy Shay Oct. 12, 2023, during a Warrant Officer Candidate School graduation...
Chief Warrant Officer 5 Willie Gadsden Jr., regimental chief warrant officer, U.S. Army Engineer School, commissioned Chief Warrant Officers 2 Jeffrey Absher and Timothy Shay Oct. 12, 2023, during a Warrant Officer Candidate School graduation ceremony at Fort Novosel, Alab. The two were commissioned as part of an Army policy that allows direct commission of qualified Soldiers to chief warrant officer two. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

Chief Warrant Officers 2 (CW2) Jeffrey Absher and Timothy Shay, both engineers, were commissioned Oct. 12, 2023, to their current rank as part of a policy that allows direct commission of qualified Soldiers to chief warrant officer two during a Warrant Officer Candidate School graduation ceremony at Fort Novosel, Alabama.

The policy, Army Directive 2023-02, allows for direct appointment of qualified Soldiers to warrant officer one or direct commission of qualified Soldiers to CW2. Warrant officers account for around 3% of the total Army, but serve as force multipliers, providing MOS specific technical expertise across the Army.

“It is great to see the engineers taking advantage of these opportunities, and I am very happy for these warrant officers and their families,” said Chief Warrant Officer 5 Aaron Anderson, command chief warrant officer, Combined Arms Center. “The Army will clearly benefit by retaining their talent in the operational force.”

“With the Army currently in a ‘war for talent’ across all cohorts, we are constantly looking at ways to improve Army readiness, address potential shortfalls, and take better advantage of talent across the enterprise,” added Anderson. “The desired end-state is the creation of a stable, healthy Warrant Officer cohort postured meet the demands of Army 2030.”

Soldiers interested in becoming an Army Warrant Officer can speak with a Warrant Officer Recruiter or visit https://recruiting.army.mil